Daniel put the car into gear. Nola leaned forward in her seat and said to him, “If you’ll lend me money, I can check into a hotel, but not a Western one where I’ll be recognized.”

He shook his head. “A hotel can’t offer political asylum; it is subject to local regulations. I wouldn’t leave you at the mercy of the Chinese. Any official might flog you for insubordination—”

“They’d beat me? I have not committed a crime.”

“It’s enough that others—your husband or your government—are searching for you. We’ve heard of your clever escape.” He chuckled, and Nola's scalp contracted. She hadn’t told Ming-Ji the details of her flight. His tone turned serious again. “Bosses, factory supervisors, and government officials use corporal punishment.”

“With heavy sticks. They break many bones.” Ming-Ji’s head bobbed up and down in agreement.

“Even a foreigner?” Would they flog a superstar?

“Not much beating in big cities lately,” Ming-Ji added.

The exchange sounded like a comedy routine except that it was real. Nola dropped back into her seat. Telling Ashford that they would have to kill her before they silenced her had been only a figure of speech. She had never considered physical danger as part of this ordeal.

“We have a place for you,” Ming-Ji said.

For how long? Separate fears—Nola could no longer tell them apart—welded into one. “I’m afraid to resurface. I want to hide, but I’ve never missed a performance. I’m supposed to fly to Shanghai for tomorrow’s concert.”

“I know,” Daniel said. “I’m scheduled to accompany you on your Gulfstream.”

Self-conscious about her wealth, Nola listened for cynicism in his remark, but could detect none. Right now, all her money and influence amounted to nothing. Once more she was powerless and dependent on a man she wasn’t sure she should trust. But at least, unlike Wade, the enemy, Daniel had proven that he cared for Lulu’s physical safety.

Nola slouched in her seat and closed her eyes. Her sense of equilibrium was missing. Her perspective was off, as though some parts of her had broken down and the others functioned on life support. What was the point of her escape from the hostile world? Sooner or later she would have to face her entourage and Lulu's pursuers.

For the next twenty minutes, the only sounds in the car were Lulu's clucks, answered by Daniel and Ming-Ji. Nola placed her finger in Lulu's fist, and the plump touch gave her comfort.

CHAPTER 23 (1986)